Introduction
The passive voice is used to emphasize the action being performed rather than who is performing it. In French, as in English, the passive voice is often used in formal writing, reports, or when the doer of the action is unknown or irrelevant.
Structure of the Passive Voice
Formation
The passive voice in French is formed by combining the appropriate tense of the verb "être" (to be) with the past participle of the main verb.
- Active Voice: Paul écrit une lettre.
(Paul writes a letter.)
- Passive Voice: Une lettre est écrite par Paul.
(A letter is written by Paul.)
Formula
```
Subject + être (conjugated) + past participle + [par + agent]
```
Conjugation in Different Tenses
Present Tense
- Active: Le professeur corrige les devoirs.
(The teacher corrects the homework.)
- Passive: Les devoirs sont corrigés par le professeur.
(The homework is corrected by the teacher.)
Past Tense (Passé Composé)
- Active: Marie a lu le livre.
(Marie read the book.)
- Passive: Le livre a été lu par Marie.
(The book was read by Marie.)
Imperfect Tense
- Active: Les enfants mangeaient le gâteau.
(The children were eating the cake.)
- Passive: Le gâteau était mangé par les enfants.
(The cake was being eaten by the children.)
Future Tense
- Active: Jean écrira un article.
(Jean will write an article.)
- Passive: Un article sera écrit par Jean.
(An article will be written by Jean.)
Conditional Tense
- Active: On inviterait Sophie à la fête.
(Sophie would be invited to the party.)
- Passive: Sophie serait invitée à la fête.
(Sophie would be invited to the party.)
Future Perfect
- Active: Ils auront terminé le projet.
(They will have finished the project.)
- Passive: Le projet aura été terminé par eux.
(The project will have been finished by them.)
Conditional Perfect
- Active: Elle aurait écrit la lettre.
(She would have written the letter.)
- Passive: La lettre aurait été écrite par elle.
(The letter would have been written by her.)
Common Uses of the Passive Voice
- When the Doer is Unknown or Unimportant:
(The windows have been cleaned.)
- To Emphasize the Action or the Recipient:
(An important decision was made.)
- In Formal or Official Contexts:
(The law will be applied starting tomorrow.)
Examples in Different Tenses
| Tense | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Present | Les ouvriers construisent le pont. | Le pont est construit par les ouvriers. |
| Passé Composé | Il a écrit un rapport. | Un rapport a été écrit par lui. |
| Imperfect | Les règles étaient suivies par les étudiants. | Les règles étaient suivies par les étudiants. |
| Future | Elle chantera la chanson. | La chanson sera chantée par elle. |
| Conditional | Ils vendraient la maison. | La maison serait vendue par eux. |
| Future Perfect | Il aura complété la tâche. | La tâche aura été complétée par lui. |
| Conditional Perfect | Elle aurait rempli le formulaire. | Le formulaire aurait été rempli par elle. |
Key Points to Remember
- The past participle in the passive voice must agree in gender and number with the subject.
- Example: Les portes ont été fermées. (The doors were closed.)
- The agent of the action (the doer) is introduced by "par" (by):
- Une chanson est chantée par Marie. (A song is sung by Marie.)
- In some cases, the passive voice can be translated with an impersonal or active construction in English:
- On dit que le film est bon. (It is said that the movie is good.)
Conclusion
The passive voice is a powerful tool in French for focusing on the action or the recipient rather than the doer. By mastering the passive structure, you can add variety and formality to your writing and speech.